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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

NEW YORK (AP) — The founder of Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. and a former executive vice president of the company have been indicted on securities fraud charges.
Authorities said Friday that Vitesse founder Louis Tomasetta (Tahm-ah-SEHT-uh) and Eugene Hovanec (HOH-vah-nehk) were charged in federal court in Manhattan with making false filings to federal regulators and conspiring to manipulate the public company's financial statements.

Kollmorgen (Radford, VA) has introduced the VC600 Vehicle Controller, which is just 125 x 50 x 195 mm in size, allowing it to fit where other vehicle controllers can’t. The controller also uses a rugged IP65-classified design that is immune to vibrations, unstable power supplies, temperature variations, humidity, and dust to deliver 24/7 operation.

Bushman AvonTec (Milwaukee, WI) has developed a coil grab, which easily handles densely-packed slit coils. The adjustable coil lifter has flexible lifting legs that fit between the coils and rotate into the I.D. for a safe lift. The hooks are adjustable in two-inch increments to permit handling coils of varying thicknesses.

Attabox (San Antonio, TX) now produces a line of UL 50, Type 3R, 4, 4X, and 12 polycarbonate enclosures. According to the company, the enclosures integrate many features, including external latches, a removable lid, high-performance inserts, an integrated lock hasp, a flush-fit swing panel, and a DIN rail mounting system.

Hitachi America, Ltd. (Tarrytown, NY) has announced its SRL Series Oil-free Multiplex Scroll Air Compressor, which gives companies more versatility when going oil-free, according to the company. The compressor is available in 7.5kW, 11kW, and 16.5kW models, with pressure optimization at 116 PSI or 145 PSI.

Why clean green?
Floor scrubbers should be flexible enough to allow the operator to choose where to apply extra water or detergent, such as in higher-traffic or spill areas.
There are many reasons why distribution centers, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and processing facilities can benefit from a green floor-cleaning program.

I’m admittedly not much of a cook (plus, who has the time?), so I defect frequently to a diverse range of restaurants in Madison, whether chain or independent, and I relish that I have enough freedom to do so. But this year, I’ve found myself surrendering celery at Buffalo Wild Wings.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The largest U.S. labor federation said Thursday it will oppose the free trade deal between the Obama administration and South Korea, which could complicate efforts to get the support of organized labor's Democratic backers in Congress.
The decision announced by AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka marks a break with the United Auto Workers union, an AFL-CIO affiliate, which agreed to support the deal after negotiators acted to deal with South Korea's big trade surplus in automobiles.

NEW CUMBERLAND, W.Va. (AP) — Investigators planned to search Friday for answers to what caused an explosion at a West Virginia chemical plant that killed two brothers in the third fatal blast at the site in 15 years.
The blast happened around 1:30 p.m. at the AL Solutions Inc. plant in New Cumberland, a small town in West Virginia's northern Panhandle about 33 miles west of Pittsburgh.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top executive at General Motors says the company was humbled by its "near-death experience" and hopes to rebound from its bankruptcy two years ago.
GM CEO Dan Akerson says in a speech to the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., that the automaker is making strides after its large initial public offering in November.

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Three people who pleaded guilty earlier this year to fraudulently borrowing $213 million from 85 lenders for a now-bankrupt Bloomington, Ill. company have been sentenced to prison.
Former Wildwood Industries plant manager Dominic F. Propersi of Bloomington was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

ZONEWORKS (Milwaukee, WI) now offers the insulated Door Blanket, which is a quick and affordable way to protect temperature-controlled items and finished products from the threat of spoilage or irreparable damage that occurs when powered doors on coolers or freezers unexpectedly shut down. The Door Blanket is designed to eliminate the exchange of air at the door opening when an air or automated door won’t close for any reason.

The Filter Curb from Thybar (Addison, IL) can add additional filter capacity to a rooftop unit. Advanced laser technology offers the tightest tolerances and superior construction because each curb is custom-manufactured due to the varying specifications of various roof configurations. The Curbs use an all-welded construction, factory-insulated walls, an integral filter rack, and an access door for servicing filters.

The new Optitrol Series from O-Z/Gedney (Rosemont, IL) is a line of factory-sealed, explosion-proof and dust-ignition proof control stations and pilot lights. They are typically used for remote control of motors in industrial areas where flammable gases are present. Optitrol’s heavy-duty enclosure confines electrical arcing, preventing ignition of flammable atmospheres, and the malleable iron enclosure is given a triple coat of zinc, chromate, and epoxy powder for corrosion resistance.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Reducing energy costs is one of the simplest ways companies can cut expenses and increase profits, but only if they know how to do so effectively. Since its establishment in 2004, the University of Missouri Industrial Assessment Center (MoIAC) has helped more than 60 Midwest companies become more energy efficient.

Founded in 1939, Ferrotherm Corporation (Cleveland, OH) is a well-established supplier to the aerospace industry with a heritage of providing quality gas turbine honeycomb seals and shrouds to customers such as GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, the U.S. Military, and many others. With 121 employees and over 100 various machines, the company is set up to perform most operations and processes on-site at its 78, 000 sq.

SpaceX, the private-sector space transport company owned by Tesla founder Elon Musk, successfully launched its Falcon 9 test rocket into Earth's orbit and recovered it successfully, a first for a non-government entity. The test's success brightens the future for NASA, who will someday hire companies like SpaceX to shuttle materials and astronauts from Earth to the International Space Station.